RUNNING TIMES

The Greatest Shoes In The World

See what four shoes RW's International Editors picked as the best in 2013.

Published

December 11, 2013

ISS: Greatest Shoes In The World

International Editor's Choice: Nike FlyKnit Lunar 1

An innovative 'sock like' one piece upper and durable Lunar foam make the Nike RW's 2013 Best Shoe of the Year.

International Best Debut: Adidas Energy Boost

Adidas's new tech soul impressed editors around the globe with cushioning and response.

International Best Update: Saucony Kinvara 4

See the subtle updates Saucony made to make an already great shoe better.

International Best Buy: Nike Pegasus+ 30

Even after 30 years on the market this simple shoe offers maximum bang for your buck.

International Editor's Choice: Nike Flyknit Lunar+ 1

"Unequivocally, the best shoe I've ever worn," says one runner, a sentiment echoed by many other testers. What makes the Flyknit Lunar1 worthy of such praise? Well, it all starts, most obviously, with the knitted upper. Time and again, testers told us that this seamless, one-piece construction method works, that the shoe is soft and molds to the contours of their feet. Instead of adding traditional overlays that are glued or sewn on, Nike used a dense stitching pattern in key areas of the upper—especially through the midfoot—to ensure the foot remains locked in place on the shoe. Testers also applauded the One's smooth ride. Nike's Lunarlon midsole foam, a lightweight and flexible midsole compound, gets the foot close to the ground while still offering plenty of cushioning. The only complaint we heard from testers is that the tongue is too short and slides toward the side when running. The issue is more of an annoyance than a functional problem, as the tongue still provides enough protection from the shoelaces.BOTTOM LINE: Looks as good in the coffee shop postrun as it performs on the road.

International Best Debut: Adidas Energy Boost

Adidas is rethinking midsole materials and is scrapping the standard EVA foam found in most running shoes. Instead, it's using a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material found in the dashboards of BMW automobiles; 2,500 little plastic pebbles are fused with steam and pressure to yield the cushioning layer of a single shoe. The result is a midsole material that is "springy" and offers better cushioning than traditional foams, as confirmed by both our wear-testers and measurements in the RW Shoe Lab. "It's a bouncy shoe, without feeling overly cushioned," says Chris Donnelly, of Maplewood, New Jersey. "I felt in touch with the roadway, but there was a lot of play in the footstrike, in a good way." The only complaint we heard about the Energy Boost is that the stretchy upper proved too snug for some runners with bigger, wider feet.

Adidas made lofty claims about its new midsole material, including that it has "industry-leading energy return" and is resistant to temperature changes. In tests at the RW Shoe Lab, we can measure how much a shoe springs back–that is, how much of the energy from footstrike is returned on the rebound. The Energy Boost truly is the industry leader: It performed better than any of the almost 800 other shoes we'd tested. We also compared the shoe's cushioning against standard and lightweight EVA foams at 20°F and 120°F, and found it far less affected by swings in temperature. Typical foams get harder at cold temperatures and softer in hotter conditions.

"Don't mess it up!" That's generally the plea of runners who have fallen in love with a particular shoe. Kinvara faithful, rejoice. The fourth version of this lightweight, cushioned trainer remains mostly unchanged, though subtle tweaks make this already solid shoe even stronger. First, the shoe gets an upgrade in midsole foam; lighter and higher-quality material results in slightly softer cushioning. Wear-testers report that the shoe remains firm enough for faster-paced workouts. The most apparent change is on the upper. The visually prominent overlays that wrapped from side-to-side have been replaced with just a few strips radiating out from the end of the eye row (near the base of your toes), giving the shoe a cleaner look while still providing enough structure.

Bottom Line: A responsive ride for efficient, medium-arched runners.

International Best Buy: Nike Pegasus+ 30

For 30 years running, the Pegasus has delivered a soft, cushioned ride at a good value. "A tried-and-true classic," says Helen Dole, a competitive age-group runner from New York City. "It offers a cushioned-ride and is comfortable from day one." Of course, the shoe has grown along with the times—it was a whopping 12.9 ounces as recently as 2006. Today, the Pegasus is back to a simplified, cushioned shoe. We saw this shaping up last year, and grew to love the shoe more as we ran in it. So we were thrilled to see that the midsole and outsole were left untouched. So, too, was the price. For $100, there are few, if any, better shoes on shelves. The upper, however, got a re-do, with Nike swapping out the one-piece engineered mesh for three distinct panels. Underneath the midfoot mesh, a reflective saddle wraps around your foot, holding you in place and keeping you visible in the dark.